Book One Excerpt One

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he carries the book in his hand as he walks over to the door marked Private. Pausing only momentarily to take a deep breath to calm his nerves, he opens the door. Stepping through to the other side, he finds himself in the middle of a small meadow that’s surrounded by a forest of trees. Shocked, he turns around to ask Dave if he’s gone crazy or just hallucinating and finds that there is no doorway, just more meadow.
Stunned to say the least, James looks around the clearing, trying to make sense of it. Over to one side he sees a large fallen log with a strange little creature sitting on top of it. The creature is about three feet in height with skin that’s a dark greenish color. A crazy felt hat sits upon its head and it’s wearing a blue vest. There seems to be intelligence behind those yellow eyes and they’re looking right at James.
I’m having a hallucination,” thinks James.
Not sure what else to do, he makes his way over to the creature and says, “Hello”.
To his utter astonishment the creature says “Hello” right back at him.
“You can talk?” exclaims James in shock.
“Of course I can talk. Any intelligent creature can talk, but not many have anything worthwhile to say,” it replies.
Before James can get his next question out the creature says, “‘Where am I?’ Was that to be your next question? You’re not where you started out at. My master has set me here to get you started and that is all I intend to do. I am not here to hold your hand or wet nurse you, do you understand?”
Nodding his head, James gives a weak, “I think so.”
“Good. Now listen up and listen well, for I am here to tell you some things and I will only tell you once."
“First of all, magic works here, read the book you have in your hand and it will help you get a handle on the workings of magic. Your survival may well depend on it.”
“Secondly, you can’t go home, at least not right now. Don’t try. We won’t try to stop you, but take it on faith that the way is simply not open to you.”
“Lastly, you need to get your sorry butt to the village of Trendle.” With that, the creature jumps into the air and with a faint popping noise, disappears.
'James ol’ boy', he thinks to himself, 'you’re screwed!'